


I Love You Too

by daintylemonsquare



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Reform!verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daintylemonsquare/pseuds/daintylemonsquare
Summary: Julian's looking for Clark and Clark talks to him.
Relationships: Julian Larson-Armstrong/Clark Sawyer
Kudos: 3





	I Love You Too

**Author's Note:**

> listen, I don't know what's up with CP's reform!verse but I alluded to something cray because she was talking about all these car chases and then these gun fights and I'm like ????okay??? so sorry for being vague. I worked with what I had. Anyway, yes this is the sequel to "I Love You" because I just had it in my head and I figured why the hell not.

There were no more gunshots. The ringing of the last explosion had faded away from everyone’s ears. Dust settled with the silence. They made their escapes with whatever had their fingerprints. Sun rise was mere minutes away as they found their way out the smoldering remains of the rehabilitation centers many of them called a makeshift home underneath the prison. Dobry was faring better than Dalton. Then again, Dobry was still on fire so there was still time for them to match. In the distance, they heard the sirens of the emergency services that were reluctantly coming to their aid, a few minutes after they had to handle the brunt of the attack themselves.

Many grouped together. Some smoked their contraband cigarettes, not caring who saw. Others tended to their wounds or to their wounded. Pairs of people sat together, holding hands, or simply in silence. Julian was with his own trio, apologizing for being taken first and then being reprimanded for apologizing and then getting checked by Bailey to make sure he wasn’t in too bad of shape. Julian hovered between Logan and Derek, who looked worse but were still able to bitch back at him. He knew they were both fine, with both Bailey and Kurt patching them up. He was just looking for an excuse not to go over to another man who was giving away soda cans from his stolen jeep.

It’d been months since they last spoke to another. More since they last saw each other. Julian could still remember how their last conversation ended and even though he was filled with bitter anger in the beginning and fiery melancholy as soon as he was sent back to Dalton, all he could feel now was shame. Clark didn’t have to come to his aid. He didn’t expect him to. He didn’t hope. He didn’t even ask for help during his last call. All he did allow himself to hope for was that Clark heard what he thought were his final words.

The shock that rocketed through him when Clark and his band crashed into the skirmish they were about to lose with guns blazing was nothing that Julian could ever imagine. He’d seen and done so many things that he thought he was incapable of surprise. Clark proved him wrong. He proved a lot of Julian’s notions wrong.

Logan grabbed his wrist. “Your majesty,” Julian said through gritted teeth, “I’m making sure you don’t fucking bleed out. Can we not do this right now?”

“You’ve been doing that for the last five minutes, Princess.” Logan squeezed and Julian yanked his arm away. “Your knight in shining armor is going to bounce before the authorities get here so talk to him already. I don’t want to have to see you mope for another six months.”

“I should’ve left you there to die,” Julian said, though without the usual malice he could muster.

Logan laughed. “You wouldn’t’ve, is the thing.” Julian would’ve shot back but didn’t. This was the first time he’d seen Logan smile and laugh since the threats came in trickles. He let him have it. Since they were going to live to bicker another day, Logan was allowed to have the last word.

And he was right. They were going to have to leave soon.

Julian approached Clark. Sinny and Mikey were ready to bar him but Clark told them to stand down.

“Don’t me regret saving your ass,” Sinny said as Mikey led him to their getaway car.

“Clark, three minutes max,” Raven commanded from the driver’s seat.

Clark nodded to him before his eyes flicked back to Julian. Underneath all the cuts and bruises he sustained, there was still an infallible kindness behind his eyes. Kindness that the world still didn’t deserve, much less Julian. They stood a foot apart. Julian stuffed his shaking hands into his pockets, hissing when one of his bandages snagged on the fabric.

“Larson,” Clark said, with a nod.

Julian fought to keep himself from bowing his head, whether it was in sorrow or in embarrassment or fear. He was so angry with Clark in the beginning. Then he was angry with himself. And when he was angry with himself, there were plenty of ways out of his body, which landed him back here. In turn, that made him angry with Clark again, and vowed to cast any memory with Clark away the same way Clark had cast him aside. But as he stayed coherent longer and as he spoke to the one good therapist in this place, who was now dead, he realized that Clark did what he had to save himself from drowning alongside him. That Clark had meant so much more than just a body and someone he could get high with. Fear snaked around him, paralyzing ever breath and every beat of his heart. It’d been so long since they last spoke, since their last moments. He wondered if his acid had corroded the bridge between them enough that if he tried to cross it the foundations would break and there would be no salvaging it.

Julian stared at Clark’s eyes, turning the same shade of the sky. He could hear himself gulp. The sirens were getting closer. This might be the last time they saw each other. He wasn’t sure how the investigation was going to go down or how Clark was really feeling now, but he’d done enough reckless things today. One more couldn’t hurt.

“Clark…” Julian started. Clark raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it. “Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad that you did.”

“…I didn’t want you to die. When I heard your message, I couldn’t sit there.”

“That’s…very kind. Thank you. None of us would’ve survived without your help.”

“…You look…bad.”

“Thanks.”

“You said you were sober?”

“Yeah. One hundred twenty-two days. I stopped counting the hours last week…Withdrawals are a bitch…I promise I try to eat. Logan and Derek won’t let me miss a meal.”

“…Good. I’m glad to hear you have them.”

“Yeah…Clark?”

“Hm?”

“I meant what I said. What I wished for, if this were a normal rehab situation and you still cared about me…”

“What makes you think I don’t care about you anymore?”

“…Well, I kinda fucked up a lot. The last time, and then the time before that, I’m sure, even though I don’t remember. I didn’t expect you to care anymore.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“…Yeah…but you never responded to anything before that. Except for that song.”

“I was in angry place.”

“Yeah, you were. I would be too.”

They shared a laugh and Julian was so thankful to hear Clark laugh with him. He never thought he’d ever experience that again.

“…I better go, J.”

“I know. I just wanted to say thank you.”

“…You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re sticking with your recovery. I’m proud of you.”

“…Thank you. I…I got the kick in the balls I needed and…yeah. I’m trying every day.”

“...See you later.”

“See you.”

Then Clark stepped closer and embraced him. Julian couldn’t believe it. The conversation was more than what he deserved and now he was getting this. He almost pushed Clark off of him but he wrapped his trembling arms around Clark’s waist. Clark held the back of his head, swaying them both from side to side. Then he kissed Julian on the side of the head. Julian shuddered. He wasn’t going to cry here. Not now. He’d done enough of that when he thought he was going to die. All he did was bury his face into Clark’s chest and breathed in. There was smoke, coppery blood, and bullets being fired. Below that, in the warmth that radiated from Clark’s skin, was the smell of his bedroom. Memories flashed and flipped through the curves of his mind. Not all of them good. Most of them reminding him of all the good times he had inebriated and he had to stamp them down. He focused on Clark’s hands on him and the kiss embossed in fire on the side of his head. Then Clark slipped away when Raven said his name.

He walked backwards as much as he could, small smile, eyes still trained on Julian’s. Then he was gone. Dust was settling around Julian as the sun rose.

“I love you,” Julian whispered. It faded in the background with the noise coming at them from all sides. Still, the sun that crested over the horizon wasn’t his primary source of warmth in this early morning. Even though Clark didn’t hear him say it back, it was enough to know that Clark didn’t let go of him after all this time and all this hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> Song I listened to on repeat while writing this:   
> Nobody Like You by Little Mix


End file.
